Improvement in methods and apparatus for burning oils



3 SheetS--Sheet T.

E. E. RIEE. Methodand Apparatus for Burningils. No.|68,782.

Patented Oct. 11, 1875,

3 Sheets--Sh-eet 2.

E. E. RICE.V

Method and Apparatus for Burning Oils. N0.l68,782.

Patented Oct. 111,'1875.

JRE www /MZ I mengml) n.PEIERS. PHOTOMTHOGMPMER, WASHINGTON. DA c,

3 Sheets---Sheet 3.

lE. E. RICE.- l Method and Apparatus for Burning 0i|s.- No.l68,782.

Patented Oct. H, 1875.

5%? @fw @MQM N @ff/WW' ff@ N, PETERS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Y ELISHA E. RICE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH HIS RIGHT TO GEORGE W. DYER, OF WASHINGTON, C.

IMPROVEMENT IN METHODS AND APPARATUS FR BURNING OILS'.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 168,782, dated October 11,1875; application filed September 16, 1875.

To all whom 'it may concern.-

Be it known that l, ELISHA E. RICE, of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Method and Apparatus for BurningV `Oils for Heating Purposes; and I do hereby declare that the'following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of my invention is the production of a safe, easily -regulated, convenient, and effective method of burning oils for heating purposes, and of an apparatus in which said method may be employed; and my invention therein', so far as relates to the method, consists principally in causing the oil to rise upon the surface of a body of water, and in burning the oil in a thin lm upon such body of water, which is so placed and arranged that the water is limited in the height of its column, and serves as a protection and safeguard from explosion or excessive combustion; also,

in introducing into the flames of the burning oil currents of heated air, for the purpose of using the heat from the combustion of the oil more conveniently and effectively in heating stoves, furnaces, cooking-stovesranges, and

like purposes; also, in introducing into the ames of the burning oil, at a point a little 'above the surface of the oil, currents of steam,

for the purpose of using the heat from the combustion of the oil more conveniently and `effectively in steam-boilers, smelting-furnaces, and like purposes; also, in returning the water heated by the burning of the oil upon it to the boiler as heated feed-water.

My invention therein, as to the apparatus, consists in the various 'operative parts and their proper combinations essential to make `effective the abovenamed methods.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to employ my methods and to make and use `my apparatus, I proceed to describe both, for

convenience taking the apparatus first.

In the drawings making a part of this specication, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in perspective, of my apparatus. Fig. 2is a vertical central section of the same; Fig. 3, a broken section of Fig. 2, showing` the location of an air-pipe; Fig. 4C, a broken plan of a portion of the bottom, showing a portion of the jacket-section of the apparatus; Fig. 5, aview of a cooking-stove, with a portion of the front broken out to show the application of the apparatus to a cooking-stove; Fig. 6, a similar view, showing the application of the appara` tus to a heating-stove; Fig. 7, abroken section of the jacket-section of the appara-tus, showing a lioat-valve to the water-pipe; Fig. 8, a vertical section of the water and oil tanks to supply the apparatus, the oil-tank having a regulating-valve; Fig. 9, an elevation of a furnace to show the application of the apparatus to a furnace; Fig. l0, an elevation of the lire-box to a steam-boiler, showing the application of the apparatus; Fig. 11, a view of a reservoir cook-stove, with the tanks connected with the hot-water reservoir of the same.

Like letters denote corresponding parts in each figure.

The apparatus, as shown in the drawing, is cylindrical in form; but it is evident that it may be ,made rectangular, or, indeed, of almost any other form.

A represents the outer shell, A' its bottom, and B an inner shell, all of which conveniently for most purposes may be cast in one piece, but' for other purposes may preferably be made of wrought metal. Between the outer shell and that next to it thereA is an annular chamber, C, and in it a drip or overflow pipe, D, tapped through the bottom A. There is in this chamber also an air-pipe, E, passing through the bottom, and extending up almost tothe top of the shell B. Another shell, F, is placed within the shell B, leaving an. annular chamber, G, which serves as a waterjacket, which shell does not extend quite down to the bottom A', leaving a space between the same and said bottom; or, if no such space is left, there `should be openings in the lower part of the shell F. The top or cover H of the` apparatus is rmlysecured to the top of the shell F, and, when'cast metal is used, may conveniently be cast with it in one piece. This top or cover mentioned lits with a tight joint to the top of the shells B and A, except where the top of the shell B is ofthe shell F a cylindrical chamber, I7 up through the center (preferably) ot" whichpasses a pipe, J, which, for convenience,may have a telescopic joint, so that it may be raised or lowered at pleasure, which pipe eX- tends up to a point a little above the surface of the burning oil, where it terminates in a perforated cap of any incombustible material. Into this same chamber I there is tapped through the bottom thereof a water-pipe, K. An oil-pipe, L, passes through all the shells, and terminates in the chamber I, having a water-jacket, c around it'from the point where it leaves the ater-reservoir, hereafter described, to the point where it'enters the chamber I. Within the chamber G is placed a valve, d, operated by a float, e, so that when the water rises to the desired height, the action of the iloat will` cause the valve d to cover thel opening of the water-pipe K. Connected with the apparatus is a tank, M, for

the reception of water, which tank should be elevated above the burning apparatus, and may be placed at any convenient point Within the room or building wher'e the burning apparatus is placed, or in another room or building, or wholly out of doors. This tank has a filling-pipe, f, and an exit-pipe, g, which communicates with the pipe K. Within this tank M is held in any proper manner, so that it may be surrounded -by Water, an oil-tank, N,

having'a filling-pipe, It, and an exit-pipe, z', which Acommunica-tes with the oil-pipe L. This pipe@ has at its point of junction with the tank N a regulating-valve, preferably such as is used in the students lamp, as shownin Fig; 8.

In the'application of this apparatus, Las

shown in Fig. 5, to a cooking-stove, the device is shown of a rectangular form, and occupying the space usually taken by the fuel, with the tanks ,to the'front or on one side.

In the modification as shown in Fig. 11, the tanks occupy the position usually assigned to` the hot-water reservoirs of stoves.

In the application of my contrivance to a heating-stove, as shown in Fig. 6, the burning apparatus is placed in the ash-pit, or a little above, and the tanks wherever it will be found most convenient to place them. V

In the application to a smelting or other furnace, as shown in Fig. 9, and to a steamboiler, as shown in Fig. l0, the drawing shows ,plainly the location ot' the burning apparatus .and the tanks, and also the location of the steam-pipe, which should, in the last instance, I .connect with the boiler, so as .to receive a constant supply of live steam, and in the rst in-y stance with a separate boiler, (not shown,)`

which will provide the requisite supply of steam.

These various applications are shown by the proper tank being lled with Water,l the same4 flows into the chambers I and G, filling them to the top, and also to the overllow-openings', at which point of time the float-valve operates and cuts off the further supply of water. The oil-tank being filled with oil, this, in turn, tlows through its proper pipe, enters the chamber I, and passes up through the water :in the same, being purified largely in such passage, and floats upon the top of the water in a thin lm. Fire being applied to this oil, it burns freely, imparting a certain amount of heat. By reason of this combustion of the oil the water supporting it becomes heated, and communicates heat to the central pipe J, by means of which currents vof air begin to ascendin such pipe and discharge themselves into the flames, causing combustion of the gases there generated, and largely increasing the heat. It' thewater flows too fast it is self-regulated by the float-valve, and in no instance can it do any harm, as it escapes by the waste-pipe. If the oil flows too fast, and is not sufficiently regulated by the lamp-valve in the tank, it can be regulated by` a stop-cock (not shown) in the oil-pipe 5 butin no case can it do any harm or overllow, as its height depends on that of the water supporting it, which cannot go beyond a certain limit regulated by the` overow.

It' the burning apparatus is applied to the cooking-stove shown in Fig. l1, the operation is the same, with the particular advantage, in that instance, that the water-tank serves as a hot-water reservoir.

If the apparatus is applied to a steam-boiler, the air-pipe is employed as such until steam is created in the boiler, when the same is admitted into the air-pipe, and issues out of the oriices in its top, and increases vastly the in'- tensity of the flames. In lconnection with this use it is obvious that the hot water in the chamber I and G may be used to supply the boiler with hot feed-water.

If the apparatus is used in connection With a furnace for smelting, where steam is taken from a separate boiler, it will be found of advantage to employ a fan-blower to force air through the pipe -E, from which, by means of the openings b bin the top or cover of the apparatus, the result of which will be that the flame will be converted into a blast.

The advantages of my method and apparatus consist in the fact that they can employ crude petroleum, notoriously one of the cheapest of heat-making substances; that such use can be made by unskillful persons with perfect safety 5 and that the apparatus canbe used in portions of the country, particularly in mining regions, Where transportation is dicult and expensive, andwhere the ordinary fuels are enormously dear. l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The method, substantially as described, of regulating the height of oil burning upon the surface of Water, by means of connecting the chamber containing the Water which carries the oil, by passages or openings at its bottom, with Aa Water-ch amber entirely around the first-named chamber, and with suitable overflow pipes or passages at its top, leading into a third chamber entirely around the second, from which last-named chamber the Water has free outlet.

2. The method, substantially as described, of increasing the combustion of oils burning in a thin lm upon the surface of Water, by introducing vertical jets of air into the center of the lire above the Water by a central vertical pipe With a perforated top.

3. The method, substantially as described, of converting the ame of oils burning in a thin lm uponthe surface of Water into a blast, by introducing vertical currents of live steam into the center of the iiame by a central vertical pipe With a perforated top.

4. The method, substantially as described, of convertingthe flame of oils burningin a thin lm upon the surface of Water into a blast, by introducing vertical central currents of live steam into the llames, and at the same time introducing radial currents of air entirely around the periphery of the llames.

5. In the apparatus described, the combination of the chamber I, provided With Water and oil inlet-pipes, and the chamber G, provided With overiiow pipes or passages at its top, connected by openings or passages at the bottom with the chamber I, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In the apparatus described, and in combination with the chamber I, the central steam or air pipe J, with a perforated top, and adapted to be raised a little above the surface of the Water and oil contained in said chamber.

7. In the apparatus described, and in com bination, the chamber I, connecting by passages at the bottom with the chamber Gr, the chamber Gr, having overflow-passages at its top, leading into the chamber C, and the chamber C, having outlet D, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In the apparatus described, and in cornbination, the air-pipe E in the chamber C, the top cover H, having an annular series ot' openings, b, and a central steam-pipe, J, substantially as and for the purposes described.

A9. In the apparatus described, the combination of the tanks M and N, with connectingpipes g i, and the chamber I, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 13th day of September, 1875.

ELISHA E. RICE.

Witnesses: A

R. N. DYER, 4 W. T. J oHNsoN.V 

